My mate said social media is like going to your fridge every 20 mins and opening the door with the genuine expectation there's going to be something different inside.
You're describing the process that Cory Doctorow calls "enshittification." Over time, any internet venture turns to shit, as the original founders at first design everything for the user, then declare an IPO and design everything for shareholders, and ultimately they design everything for themselves. The users then go to another site or app, where the process begins again.
Doctorow is also optimistic though that this cycle can be ended, with, for instance, laws requiring interoperability, and much stronger anti-trust regulation (which is already starting to happen).
Almost correct: the second stage is not for the shareholders, but for the advertisers. The third stage is where they claw it all back to offer maximum benefit to themselves, and by extension, the rest of the shareholders. That said, I'm starting to bump into more and more people familiar with Cory Doctorow lately. For years it seemed I was the only one who knew about him and his works, or at least, I never heard him discussed. But it appears that lately his ideas are "going viral".
doctorow is doctoring the examples: did amazon or fb fail? how? what solid proof of the theory does he offer? i also suspect he's socialist, so he's bound to say such stuff. what did we replace yt with?
@@EvenTheDogAgrees I would argue that tailoring to advertisers *is* for shareholders. The shareholders only care about bigger profits, and bigger profits come from more advertising
Best internet experience was forums. I joined a band forum and it was a wild ride. Made lasting friends, went to great gigs with the friends, threw parties, found a lover, got flamed, got banned, friends got banned, made our own forum, forum wars, trolling…. It was fantastic fun. We were even followed by the band so in the end we got to be famous with them. They even wrote us a song. They all went to Facebook when the forums exploded through sheer spite and excitement. Same people, different site. Boring as f. I think the anonymous element of forums was both the big strength and weakness. God I miss those days. The band retired. Current social media is like being thirsty and finding a muddy puddle. Forums were a waterfall.
I too miss the forum days. Also have warm memories of a specific forum. In the 2000s/2010s it was standard for a band or an artist to have a forum on their website. You just don't see it anymore, and I honestly wonder why, because it's not like social media are really a replacement for them. Maybe subreddits have kind of taken over that role?
I had a great time on a couple of mailing lists - met friends I'm still in touch with, made plans with people in other countries when I traveled, and a lot more. There were a few unpleasant people - but unpleasant, not toxic or vile.
Does anyone else get the little phantom rumbles next to their thigh and think "Wait a second, my phone's not even in that pocket"? Yeah, I deleted Twitter when it became X and it remains one of the best decisions of my adult life.
I left Facebook 6 years ago (I even changed my easily-remembered password to a nonsense password I had no chance of ever remembering) and I have never regretted it. I have gotten back hundreds of hours of time back, maybe thousands, and my thoughts are not obsessed about other people.
I left about a decade ago because I got fed up with Facebook constantly changing my privacy settings behind my back with every new update. I wasn't getting much out of that platform anyway; all I saw was people's "Facebook persona". It was all so fake and superficial. Everyone posing, pretending to live the celebrity lifestyle. And everyone caught in that infantile mindset that it was super important to keep up with what your "friends" were doing, and that you had to "like" everything you saw, and had to invite others to play whatever stupid game some other friend roped you into playing, ... Yeah, like you said, no regrets.
@@sarahbasto6520 I'm not following my peers on UA-cam. I am following channels that genuinely entertain or educate me. That's something I can't get on Facebook.
When struggling with mental health issues social media is not a friend for anyone! I have had over twenty years of treatment, but social media can and will exasperate any issues you might have!
Agree with you about not good for mental health. Although some of the things like music and of course comedy like Michael Spicer cheer me up but at 61 I managed to live without it for 55 years so will see if I can kick the habit! Time in nature much better for you!
@dondoodat 'Exasperate' kind of works, too. Confounding, confusing, deranging the issues! Is it against the law to use 'exasperate' in relation to anything other than a person? I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't share a linguistic root.
youre so right. even discord and talking about those topics for too long with real people will exaggerateyour insecurities. I dont wanna go down that road again
@@Mr_Penguins_Pet_Human definatley this. I did that ages ago even with people I love the notifications drove me CRAZY. the only one i get now is the number figure indicating how many there are. Unless you get severe amnesia or bump your head or both believe me you wont forget to check . your brain does the work for you
I bailed on social media in 2010 when I was 19, meanwhile my parents in their 60s and 70s are never seen without a phone in their hand/face. Mum says (without looking at me because Facebook open) that she's too resilient to fall for the tricks of social media 🙄
Yeah my mom is in her 70s and I threw in the towel when the home tech “Installed Google on her machine” and I couldn’t pick a follow-up question from the several I had. I’ve really tried.
Yeah, know the feeling. Got similar parents. Mom's phone is a mess: constantly dinging and booping, even when not in use. Multiple alarms a day that serve one, and only one purpose: to be turned off. And when I go over to visit, she'll suddenly pull out her phone and start going through all the videos in her feed, and liking all the post, of course with the volume turned to the max, while ignoring everyone present. And that's not just at home, it's also when she visits other people, or when out in public. Absolute zero regard for the people around her. Dad's a little better. He will also scroll his Facebook feeds when he's on a break (he's still keeping active with some work around the house, including mine). It's annoying when I homework, because I'm a software developer and need to be able to concentrate, but luckily at least he knows how the volume controls on his phone work. Putting on some music on my noise-canceling headphones usually tunes his facebook videos out.
@@JenSell1626 wow, of you put it like that, I guess I really can't say anything much to that, except perhaps "that had absolutely nothing to do with anything I said or potentially implied?"
Great video, thank you! I guess every person has to find out their own formula to deal with social media in a productive, healthy way. But one thing is for sure: SM gets you the more you feel TIRED. Because of instant gratification. The more exhausted you feel, the more Facebook you will check. When you learn that your phone usage is a sign of exhaustion and you should get so sleep instead/reduce stress, it gets better instantly.
Social media became easier to navigate for me when I realised that a LOT of content is ragebait. Designed to make you react. Especially now Space Karen is paying people on Twitter to farm engagement with terrible, terrible opinions Everything became easier to ignore somehow.
That's why it's called an Opinion. Just because one person thinks it's " terrible" someone else doesn't. At least you didn't use the word "super" beforehand lol. Good one
I like how you included UA-cam in the beginning. A lot of people don't seem to understand that UA-cam is absolutely social media, so it's funny when they decry or say they don't use social media while commenting on UA-cam.
Huh, I suppose it is. I just don't follow/comment at/talk to anyone I've ever known or met on here, so commenting feels more like shouting at (writing a letter to? 😅) the TV. Interesting point!
Absolutely, as of now, though, I feel that I am getting enough value out of it to justify using it. That might change in 5 months when 96% of UA-cam will be shorts...
Absolutely. Some seem to forget that Google owns UA-cam. Same crowd that says all the time they are not in politics but keep criticizing the Government, capitalism, China and local councils.
Ahh The Room Next Door!!! There’s been so much to do on that front lately Michael.. bring it back!! On the video, spot on.. been off all that rubbish for 18 months and it’s the best move I ever made.
Any public appearance of Elon feels like someone attempted to create a modern reboot of Alan Partridge but the character became sentient and entered our reality
Good for you. I watch YT a lot but that's about it concerning social media. I still have a FB account but haven't gone on there for ages unless hubby tells me someone's looking for me. But whatever I use or not - I disable notifications, period.
I just watched a series of lectures on the Twelve Cesars by Mary Beard, and I watch other kinds of science programs, and comedy quiz shows, and other stuff - not at all like facebook or twitter or instagram.
Part of me was genuinely expecting you to break into a makeup tutorial at the end, with the fancy lamp and dying plant.. excellent vid as usual. Would love for you to interview Carol Cadwalladr about her social media experience!
Ironically(?) Facebook has gone so far backwards at this point, with "locked" profiles and being able to hide all your information, that it is very hard to find old friends now. If Friends Reunited was still around it would be laughing.
I like the small acknowledgement that social media does allow us to be in the know on news and whatever other pop culture pieces happen each week. I feel like the typical "I deleted my social media" post is always an outright banishment and condemnation of social media forever, and I don't think it's appealing for people to miss out on whatever their friends are talking about. I like this approach more where you just make it harder to lose time scrolling and engage with social media with more intent. I've already removed the icons from my home screen, but now I'm heavily considering getting a laptop or tablet to get it completely off my phone. Good video, Michael 🙂
I like your advice to keep social networking apps on tablets and laptops. From my experience, I do exactly that and I can say that now I have more time and free mind in my hands. A tablet computer in a backpack and a mobile phone in a pocket (not a smart phone, not even a feature phone, but the simplest mobile phone - just GSM voice calls and SMS messages). Nice video/message. Nice channel too. I like it..
@@dougallwinship He genuinely didn't in his experiments, lots of others did when trying to recreate them and it got bundled up into the theory because it's a nice example I think
One thing I like about myself is when it's my days off, I don't even know where my phone is. On work days, especially during the commute to work on the train, I'll check my phone whenever I have a spare moment - whether it's lunch time, a smoke break, time for a coffee or a spare five minutes. On my day off I don't care about that stuff because I'm seeing friends at my house, watching films, at a restaurant with my wife or having a nice drink by myself
I created a Facebook account about 14 years ago but found very quickly that its tendency to link you up with *everyone* you ever had a remote connection to creepy in the extreme. So after posting about 5 updates I stopped using it and have never touched it since. UA-cam is the nearest I get to social media of any sort and find loads of really interesting/entertaining/positive channels where people communicate in a civil manner in the comments. Anyway, a really important topic Michael 👍😃. PS I think that growing up in the 70s and 80s long before the internet existed, life was in some ways richer but maybe that's just rose tinted nostalgia 😬
Great video! It wasn’t that long ago we’d fly off for two weeks in the sun, no-one back home knew exactly where we’d gone. No TV in the self catering apartment. Might scan the headlines of a British paper in the local supermarket (but never buy one… “you could get two beers for that”). Then tune the car radio to Radio 4 on the drive home from the airport to catch up with the headlines. Bliss! I’ve deleted my news app on my phone… it never even occurred to me to do that! X
AND suckerbong convinced me I didn't use Fakebook. AND all the white chicks doing that 0 brain dance on TikTok convinced me I don't need that either. AND youtube shorts are making me think do I need UA-cam at all
I got turfed from Twixter before Lone Skum even knew it was a thing…for yelling at literal fascists and white nationalists, who then put their sock-puppet accounts into use and mass reported me until I got banned without human review…moments after I had reported those accounts for hate speech. I just said fuck it. There’s no point in hanging around a backwards ass dystopia that rewards the worst assholes in human history and ejects those who try to stop them. Then Lone Skum shows up, starts ranting in Psychopath and gives Mango Mussolini his account back. Seriously worst platform on the internet, which is really saying something a week after the US Congress said Schmuckerberg and Farcebook have blood on their hands. U-Toob is the only account I have left on the internet, and everything but comedy and music gets a fast ejection from my recommends.
You could have made a better case in 30 seconds : Social media is there to CONTROL you. to make you think and act the way the people paying that company want. And this isn't to improve yourself, it's to be frightened and cowed.
I dunno, I'm a year in on Spanish, stayed in diamond league the whole time. I can pick up some stuff from East Los, I can get the gist of spanish youtube comments. I'm still crap at speaking it though
Great video really enjoying these video essay style videos with your skit’s spliced in. I’ve been using an app that stops me opening social media apps straight away and limits how many times I can open them, but I’d like to go the whole hog and delete them.
Kudos to you Michael. I have liked your unique and spot on kind of humour since I discovered your page. This clip takes your humour and knowledge in a really good direction. Educating while still in a funny way. The points you are making are great. I hope that you will do more videos in this kind of style. Best of luck to you!
Because this is Michael Spicer I have no idea if this was a sketch or a serious moment of introspection. From me, addicted to "social media" since NNTP newsgroups, IRC and dial up bulletin boards...
what you describe about not knowing where your phone is cuz you haven't touched it for hours is pinpoint accurate. i delete myself from social media (completely, not just the phone apps) about 5 years ago, and indeed many times i have no clue where i last left my phone because i last thought about it hours ago. But i guess that's a privilege of older people. we're not as socially dependent as like when you're in your twenties.
This is the 20th time I've checked my phone, and I'm only 5 minutes into the video. He is spot on though , I have no idea why I check my phone , I'm 50 , I dont play games on it , I barely use Facebook, don't do twitter and yet I check my phone in the unlikely event someone has posted something that my involve me. Oh well I'll put my phone down now , and in 3 minutes the desire to pick it up will gnaw away at my brain, then I'll reach out , look at my phone again and have to rewind the video as I have just missed the last minute or so ,, thus making a 15 minute video take 30 minutes to watch.
Brilliant piece...! I've just uninstalled FB and hope to get more productive with all the time I've got back! Social media is like a drug... Anyone seen the Social Dilemma on Netflix? It's a powerful piece about the negative effects of social media.
Keeping all the profits and not paying the talent anything is UA-cam's modus operandi. Since 2017, even partners that were making a little money like me were cast out because we weren't making enough, and UA-cam threw ads into our videos that we got nothing for. Too bad it's working for them so well.
and one can't even forward them anymore, that is the most annoying thing ever. I am on the fence to ditch yt because of that, I don't care if people need ads to have more revenue, it is basically annoying... and distracting from the actual video.
I used Duolingo for a year for learning Japanese ... my ability to speak Japanese, or make complete sentences from memory is practically non-existent. However, the rote memorisation exercises for the Hiragana/Katakana characters were a big help and I've made a lot of progress there at least.
I knew what to expect from it. It's just that, out of all the things I've learned to recognise while doing the exercises, I'm surprised how little of it naturally comes to mind. It shows there are a lot of words I've at least partially learned, and it should help when I start studying it properly.
I had the same experience with Rosetta Stone. Did the entire German course and found that I couldn't piece a sentence together. However, general vocabulary increased simply through rote learning.
When I saw you'd made a 16 minute video I really wasn't sure, but this was fantastic. You even threw in a room next door clip! Worked so well, looking forward to seeing more long form stuff
I love this format you've got going on! The topics are great and the integration of your familiar sketches really adds something! I hope you keep these up!
Ok, now I'm anxious about not using social media enough... Two and a half hours a day? I'm working those hours, it's bloody killing me! I had no idea that there was an alternative to looking at difficult emails, making/answering calls on my mobile and generally dealing with difficult problems... I could have been giving opinions on Taylor Swift's relationship with her boyfriend! As it is, I had to google "celebrity 2024" to get that name... Oh sorry, almost forgot: 7.5/10, quite a manly look but the greying beard gives him a mature vibe. Definitely hot.
I only use social media on a PC. have a Instagram account for my artwork, I don't have a personal Instagram account, I only use my Instagram when I have something to upload. I don't use it on my phone because it would lead me to wasting my time during the day
Never had Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Facebook, etc. Living in the real world, enjoying real experiences with real family & friends 👌
@sofastuffing - I just go on occasionally. Some fantastic educational videos! I don't divulge private information. I'm guessing you are on every platform......
Oh Michael, I believed you and thought, "How brave is Michael!". I hadn't realised you would still have limited access just not on your phone. God I'm a fool 😆 That said, I don't have anything on my phone apart from Messenger to call for help from my sister, if I have a fall (had a stroke so am a bit wobbly on my feet.) I do feel a bit isolated, what with not being able to get a good connection on my bloody phone, as I'm now told I need a code on it to buy anything. I live in remote Devon, ten whole minutes drive to the nearest Tesco! 😱 So yes, I am being pushed out of society by these bloody rules but... Oh my god I am so ranting right now, so sorry...I will say good bye! 😊
When I live on the internet I am a depressed, anxious misanthrope angry at the world. When I check out and decide to live in the world I feel so much more balanced and at peace. Social media might be the worse thing to ever happen to humanity.
"In 2019, Myspace lost *all* of its content, from the day it launched to 2015 in some sort of botched server migration with no backup." Oh thank Christ, my shrine to teenage cringe will never be discovered.
Same. I got rid of my Facebook about 2 years ago & then IG got deleted at the end of last year. Never used any of the others & I only keep UA-cam to watch movies & have the occasional scroll that leads me to stuff like this video. My pre-teen also doesn't have any social media & I'm really happy about that because the difference between him & his peers who are addicted to their phones is really obvious. Social media was probably fun for about 10 years right at the very beginning. I reconnected with all my old school friends & made loads of friends from around the world....then it all changed. Social media is pretty much going down the toilet & I'm happy about that. I'm too old to get affected by it but it's ruining the minds of younger people. Young people who don't know what actual human social interaction is like without it & that's tragic. I'll celebrate the day that it all ends. It literally serves no purpose.
Very good Michael, took your advice, found myself, I think it's called "reading a book". Quite tiring, but I'm persevering and a pint of Wadworth's has dulled the ache.
I don't mind people criticizing Musk, but I honestly don't understand the people that act like Twitter was perfectly fine the way it was and then Musk came along and ruined it. To me it's just indicative of someone being stuck in a bubble that they don't even comprehend they're in. There's a clear ignorant bias there, which is further shown by the way you spent a good portion of this video criticizing advertisers... and then criticised Musk for criticizing advertisers. Twitter was dangerous before Musk, you were just one of those who were in the protective bubble and were shielded from this.
Fantastic. Recently, I am thinking about it a lot regarding just how much time I’m on social media. It’s ridiculous to be honest. I mean in some ways it’s harmless enough but I just don’t like the idea of how much actual time I’m spending on social media. I’m really hoping you are back here to put out new content because I Really enjoyed the room next door and all your content to be honest not many people who can have me belly laughing you’re definitely one of them.
The only sole reason I keep my fb account is because I'm a member of a couple of groups related to my 20 yo car - buying/ selling parts, getting in touch with people who make parts that are no longer available even as OEM, repair advice etc. and a few hobby groups (model making). I have a few friends IRL, and I don't need fb to stay in touch with them. I grew up in the early 00s - the sweetspot of technology for me - we already had mobile phones for quick chat WHEN NEEDED and in case of emergency. But there was never this always online lifestyle, instagram posing and the risk of being filmed when doing something stupid (doing which is almost inevitable being an adult, even more being a teen) which can make one's life unbearable at a young age when people often try to fit into groups to find their place in the world.
I think this might be my favourite video of yours yet! Perfect blend of comedy and helpfulness~ Also having your social media only on a laptop is such a great tip! Reminds me of the good ol days of hanging out on the family computer! I check it a lot less too because of the extra effort it takes! On a similar note, we were never supposed to be contactable 24/7! I think Facebook is massively to blame with their "seen" feature too, makes people feel ignored/entitled to a response sooner than necessary :’)
"seen" is so creepy and unnessary. Ive always thought it was. Just breeds insecurities in people like bacteria ! Made me parranoid about the friends I was talking to It's same with Whatsapp but ive learnt to override the paranoia. anything to keep you on it for longer!
Love the vid and is something I’ve actually started applying recently. Powerful tool tbh.. this and not touching tech for the first and last hour of the day. But you did leave me with a genuine question.. why did you, do a whole video about it, with a fancy lamp and a dying plant behind you?
Your Undivided Attention podcast is worth a listen for in depth analysis of all this. The Social Dilemma movie/doc too. Facebook and the rest employee the people who create slot machines to tell them how to keep people on their apps for longer
My mate said social media is like going to your fridge every 20 mins and opening the door with the genuine expectation there's going to be something different inside.
So a really normal thing?
@@anyatrioli3734 Yes, for some of you it would seem.
@@1inchPunchBowl Yes, you're so high minded aren't you?
I put a white siamese cat inside mine, apparently their fur goes black. But i cant be sure.
I know people like that ref fridge
You're describing the process that Cory Doctorow calls "enshittification." Over time, any internet venture turns to shit, as the original founders at first design everything for the user, then declare an IPO and design everything for shareholders, and ultimately they design everything for themselves. The users then go to another site or app, where the process begins again.
Platform decay is in academic talk
Doctorow is also optimistic though that this cycle can be ended, with, for instance, laws requiring interoperability, and much stronger anti-trust regulation (which is already starting to happen).
Almost correct: the second stage is not for the shareholders, but for the advertisers. The third stage is where they claw it all back to offer maximum benefit to themselves, and by extension, the rest of the shareholders.
That said, I'm starting to bump into more and more people familiar with Cory Doctorow lately. For years it seemed I was the only one who knew about him and his works, or at least, I never heard him discussed. But it appears that lately his ideas are "going viral".
doctorow is doctoring the examples: did amazon or fb fail? how?
what solid proof of the theory does he offer?
i also suspect he's socialist, so he's bound to say such stuff.
what did we replace yt with?
@@EvenTheDogAgrees I would argue that tailoring to advertisers *is* for shareholders. The shareholders only care about bigger profits, and bigger profits come from more advertising
The collar getting gradually higher and the tie getting tighter with every apology is a lovely detail, Michael.
Oh, damn you, Denise! I missed that. And thanks to you, now I gotta watch it all over again! 😂
It literally doesnt
God damn Denise! It doesn't.
Nice to hear your thoughts, Michael. My wife and I deleted FB and Twitter years ago. We're back to walking, urban sketching, and watercolour.
Urban sketching sounds much better than graffiti
@@robmarcus687 It also sounds a bit sketchy.
Best internet experience was forums. I joined a band forum and it was a wild ride. Made lasting friends, went to great gigs with the friends, threw parties, found a lover, got flamed, got banned, friends got banned, made our own forum, forum wars, trolling…. It was fantastic fun. We were even followed by the band so in the end we got to be famous with them. They even wrote us a song.
They all went to Facebook when the forums exploded through sheer spite and excitement. Same people, different site. Boring as f. I think the anonymous element of forums was both the big strength and weakness. God I miss those days.
The band retired. Current social media is like being thirsty and finding a muddy puddle. Forums were a waterfall.
I too miss the forum days. Also have warm memories of a specific forum. In the 2000s/2010s it was standard for a band or an artist to have a forum on their website. You just don't see it anymore, and I honestly wonder why, because it's not like social media are really a replacement for them. Maybe subreddits have kind of taken over that role?
I miss forums
I suppose we're getting old but yeah, forums were also my high water mark Internet experience
I had a great time on a couple of mailing lists - met friends I'm still in touch with, made plans with people in other countries when I traveled, and a lot more. There were a few unpleasant people - but unpleasant, not toxic or vile.
What band was it?
Had to laugh when a UA-cam advert cut in just as you were saying about adverts getting in front of all other content. Beautiful timing.
Does anyone else get the little phantom rumbles next to their thigh and think "Wait a second, my phone's not even in that pocket"? Yeah, I deleted Twitter when it became X and it remains one of the best decisions of my adult life.
I definitely get phantom rumbles. Sometimes even from a pocket that doesn't even exist in the outfit I'm wearing. It's weird.
If deleting an app was one of the best decisions of your adult life, I think you got some serious decisions.
See what I did there
You can delete the app but did you delete the content in your feed?
I hear you. All the c r e p e on twitter....ugh...then X....I did Xit stage left. F that!😂❤ Can't be a r s e d with Insta😅
no, but well done!
I left Facebook 6 years ago (I even changed my easily-remembered password to a nonsense password I had no chance of ever remembering) and I have never regretted it. I have gotten back hundreds of hours of time back, maybe thousands, and my thoughts are not obsessed about other people.
I left about a decade ago because I got fed up with Facebook constantly changing my privacy settings behind my back with every new update. I wasn't getting much out of that platform anyway; all I saw was people's "Facebook persona". It was all so fake and superficial. Everyone posing, pretending to live the celebrity lifestyle. And everyone caught in that infantile mindset that it was super important to keep up with what your "friends" were doing, and that you had to "like" everything you saw, and had to invite others to play whatever stupid game some other friend roped you into playing, ... Yeah, like you said, no regrets.
I deleted Facebook and now I just spend all the time I saved on UA-cam and Reddit. Yay?
Here's the superior comment on... UA-cam (not social media at all!)
@@sarahbasto6520 I'm not following my peers on UA-cam. I am following channels that genuinely entertain or educate me. That's something I can't get on Facebook.
When struggling with mental health issues social media is not a friend for anyone! I have had over twenty years of treatment, but social media can and will exasperate any issues you might have!
Agree with you about not good for mental health. Although some of the things like music and of course comedy like Michael Spicer cheer me up but at 61 I managed to live without it for 55 years so will see if I can kick the habit! Time in nature much better for you!
@dondoodat 'Exasperate' kind of works, too. Confounding, confusing, deranging the issues! Is it against the law to use 'exasperate' in relation to anything other than a person? I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't share a linguistic root.
What do you do for 20 years long? Sounds like paid codependency.
I pay for humiliation, gaslighting and REtraumatisation
youre so right. even discord and talking about those topics for too long with real people will exaggerateyour insecurities. I dont wanna go down that road again
@@Mr_Penguins_Pet_Human definatley this. I did that ages ago even with people I love the notifications drove me CRAZY. the only one i get now is the number figure indicating how many there are.
Unless you get severe amnesia or bump your head or both believe me you wont forget to check . your brain does the work for you
I bailed on social media in 2010 when I was 19, meanwhile my parents in their 60s and 70s are never seen without a phone in their hand/face. Mum says (without looking at me because Facebook open) that she's too resilient to fall for the tricks of social media 🙄
People who think they're immune to propaganda are always the most susceptible
Yeah my mom is in her 70s and I threw in the towel when the home tech “Installed Google on her machine” and I couldn’t pick a follow-up question from the several I had. I’ve really tried.
Yeah, know the feeling. Got similar parents. Mom's phone is a mess: constantly dinging and booping, even when not in use. Multiple alarms a day that serve one, and only one purpose: to be turned off. And when I go over to visit, she'll suddenly pull out her phone and start going through all the videos in her feed, and liking all the post, of course with the volume turned to the max, while ignoring everyone present. And that's not just at home, it's also when she visits other people, or when out in public. Absolute zero regard for the people around her.
Dad's a little better. He will also scroll his Facebook feeds when he's on a break (he's still keeping active with some work around the house, including mine). It's annoying when I homework, because I'm a software developer and need to be able to concentrate, but luckily at least he knows how the volume controls on his phone work. Putting on some music on my noise-canceling headphones usually tunes his facebook videos out.
@@JenSell1626 wow, of you put it like that, I guess I really can't say anything much to that, except perhaps "that had absolutely nothing to do with anything I said or potentially implied?"
😂😂😂
Michael is well on his 'Hbomber guy phase' - can't wait for the three hour videos still to come...
😂
I can't wait!
Oh god no
Great video, thank you! I guess every person has to find out their own formula to deal with social media in a productive, healthy way. But one thing is for sure: SM gets you the more you feel TIRED. Because of instant gratification. The more exhausted you feel, the more Facebook you will check. When you learn that your phone usage is a sign of exhaustion and you should get so sleep instead/reduce stress, it gets better instantly.
Social media became easier to navigate for me when I realised that a LOT of content is ragebait. Designed to make you react. Especially now Space Karen is paying people on Twitter to farm engagement with terrible, terrible opinions
Everything became easier to ignore somehow.
When Muck complained about how much it costs to maintain blocklists, I knew what I had to do. Block to infinity, and beyond.
Space Karen. 😂😂😂 That made my day.
Yet if you criticise a genocide happen before our eyes you get banned
Twitter is two opposing forces battling in every comments section. If you aren't aggressively left or right leaning, you feel lost.
That's why it's called an Opinion. Just because one person thinks it's " terrible" someone else doesn't.
At least you didn't use the word "super" beforehand lol. Good one
If you are curious, the video shot at 6:37 is Dawlish, Devon. Facing away from Dawlish Warren. Beautiful part of UK.
I like how you included UA-cam in the beginning. A lot of people don't seem to understand that UA-cam is absolutely social media, so it's funny when they decry or say they don't use social media while commenting on UA-cam.
Huh, I suppose it is. I just don't follow/comment at/talk to anyone I've ever known or met on here, so commenting feels more like shouting at (writing a letter to? 😅) the TV. Interesting point!
Absolutely, as of now, though, I feel that I am getting enough value out of it to justify using it. That might change in 5 months when 96% of UA-cam will be shorts...
Great point and it triggered this thought in my head: ALL media is social.
Exactly.
Absolutely. Some seem to forget that Google owns UA-cam.
Same crowd that says all the time they are not in politics but keep criticizing the Government, capitalism, China and local councils.
Ahh The Room Next Door!!! There’s been so much to do on that front lately Michael.. bring it back!! On the video, spot on.. been off all that rubbish for 18 months and it’s the best move I ever made.
"Delete your social media"
"Please like and subscribe"
From his phone.
Exactly 😂
I deleted all my social media except UA-cam
@@HildaDeerfox exactly. You cant delete youtube. Its not fakebook.....
This.😂
When I asked my 17 year old labourer to stop checking his phone every 5 minutes he looked at me like I asked him to remove his own spleen.
Sure buddy.
@@Mechanomicswhat do you mean by that?
@@Mechanomics You sound doubtful? what an really odd reply.
@@dannjp75 Clearly, I don't believe you. It's just more "young people bad" nonsense.
@@1inchPunchBowl Yes, how odd to doubt something someone said on the internet. Honestly, how do people handle your shear genius?
Any public appearance of Elon feels like someone attempted to create a modern reboot of Alan Partridge but the character became sentient and entered our reality
😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Loving these long format videos.
Good for you.
I watch YT a lot but that's about it concerning social media. I still have a FB account but haven't gone on there for ages unless hubby tells me someone's looking for me. But whatever I use or not - I disable notifications, period.
I just watched a series of lectures on the Twelve Cesars by Mary Beard, and I watch other kinds of science programs, and comedy quiz shows, and other stuff - not at all like facebook or twitter or instagram.
Part of me was genuinely expecting you to break into a makeup tutorial at the end, with the fancy lamp and dying plant.. excellent vid as usual. Would love for you to interview Carol Cadwalladr about her social media experience!
Without twitter or Instagram anymore, I'm at the point where I've started treating my email inbox as a feed.
This is the rant I've been waiting for my whole life. 👏🤦😭
Really? These rants are honestly a dime a dozen.
@@Mechanomicslol really . So what triggered you the humour the accuracy 🤔
I love this much longer piece from you Michael. I need more.
Ironically(?) Facebook has gone so far backwards at this point, with "locked" profiles and being able to hide all your information, that it is very hard to find old friends now.
If Friends Reunited was still around it would be laughing.
Sorry, I was too busy checking my phone to follow this. What were you talking about?
I don’t know, he said internet something something. I had 3 iPads open with 4 tabs each. What was your question again?
😅
7:27 - LOL, love the little nuggets of comedy and self-deprecation inserted throughout.
I like the small acknowledgement that social media does allow us to be in the know on news and whatever other pop culture pieces happen each week.
I feel like the typical "I deleted my social media" post is always an outright banishment and condemnation of social media forever, and I don't think it's appealing for people to miss out on whatever their friends are talking about.
I like this approach more where you just make it harder to lose time scrolling and engage with social media with more intent. I've already removed the icons from my home screen, but now I'm heavily considering getting a laptop or tablet to get it completely off my phone. Good video, Michael 🙂
I like your advice to keep social networking apps on tablets and laptops.
From my experience, I do exactly that and I can say that now I have more time and free mind in my hands.
A tablet computer in a backpack and a mobile phone in a pocket (not a smart phone, not even a feature phone, but the simplest mobile phone - just GSM voice calls and SMS messages).
Nice video/message. Nice channel too. I like it..
Pavlov never even used a bell. (this is the correct use of social media right? Nitpicking and showing off?)
Made a cracking dessert though
@@lewiskingtheflatthink that was his wife Pavlova?
i'm curious why you think there wasn't a bell ... is this coz no bell or no experiment?
@@dougallwinship He genuinely didn't in his experiments, lots of others did when trying to recreate them and it got bundled up into the theory because it's a nice example I think
Did he win the No bell prize?
What a fascinating essay. I like your analysis and the way you use humour to make your point. Thank you for your work.
One thing I like about myself is when it's my days off, I don't even know where my phone is. On work days, especially during the commute to work on the train, I'll check my phone whenever I have a spare moment - whether it's lunch time, a smoke break, time for a coffee or a spare five minutes. On my day off I don't care about that stuff because I'm seeing friends at my house, watching films, at a restaurant with my wife or having a nice drink by myself
*This* is excellent. It really feels like you've created something really rather lovely with this new format. More please.
Absolutely fantastic and spot on, thank you! We love these new videos
I just noticed the like button below this video getting a colorful rainbow outline at the same time you mentioned "the like button".
That was a brilliant presentation. Well done.
I'm here for this kind of content as well as your sketches. Great stuff.
I created a Facebook account about 14 years ago but found very quickly that its tendency to link you up with *everyone* you ever had a remote connection to creepy in the extreme. So after posting about 5 updates I stopped using it and have never touched it since. UA-cam is the nearest I get to social media of any sort and find loads of really interesting/entertaining/positive channels where people communicate in a civil manner in the comments. Anyway, a really important topic Michael 👍😃. PS I think that growing up in the 70s and 80s long before the internet existed, life was in some ways richer but maybe that's just rose tinted nostalgia 😬
having the strength of character to just be bored. SM doesn’t let you become bored so you’re tied to it.
FB is the reason I remembered why I lost touch with my school friends in the first place 😂
Great video! It wasn’t that long ago we’d fly off for two weeks in the sun, no-one back home knew exactly where we’d gone. No TV in the self catering apartment. Might scan the headlines of a British paper in the local supermarket (but never buy one… “you could get two beers for that”). Then tune the car radio to Radio 4 on the drive home from the airport to catch up with the headlines. Bliss! I’ve deleted my news app on my phone… it never even occurred to me to do that! X
Excellent, Michael, thanks!
Best video yet! Loved the walk through of the history of social media. Hope to see more with a similar format! ❤
The most genius thing MElon McSpaceKaren did was convince me that I didn't need Twatter any more.
I still use it, the blue tick people give me a good laugh every day.
I got rid of TikTok and Twitter. TikTok is too addictive and Twitter became Twat-ter. I don't need either platforms in my life.
I miss Twitter but I’m living a perfectly happy life without it!
AND suckerbong convinced me I didn't use Fakebook. AND all the white chicks doing that 0 brain dance on TikTok convinced me I don't need that either. AND youtube shorts are making me think do I need UA-cam at all
I got turfed from Twixter before Lone Skum even knew it was a thing…for yelling at literal fascists and white nationalists, who then put their sock-puppet accounts into use and mass reported me until I got banned without human review…moments after I had reported those accounts for hate speech. I just said fuck it. There’s no point in hanging around a backwards ass dystopia that rewards the worst assholes in human history and ejects those who try to stop them. Then Lone Skum shows up, starts ranting in Psychopath and gives Mango Mussolini his account back. Seriously worst platform on the internet, which is really saying something a week after the US Congress said Schmuckerberg and Farcebook have blood on their hands. U-Toob is the only account I have left on the internet, and everything but comedy and music gets a fast ejection from my recommends.
You could have made a better case in 30 seconds : Social media is there to CONTROL you. to make you think and act the way the people paying that company want. And this isn't to improve yourself, it's to be frightened and cowed.
Duolingo bit is spot on 😂
I, laughingly, am (not) learning Hindi, on Duolingo. But of course "The elephant drinks milk" could be an essential phrase in India....😎
Anyone seen the movie 'Persian Lessons'? 😢
But it makes me feel CLEVER! 😂
I dunno, I'm a year in on Spanish, stayed in diamond league the whole time. I can pick up some stuff from East Los, I can get the gist of spanish youtube comments. I'm still crap at speaking it though
Wanted to write the same. You first. 🙂
Great video really enjoying these video essay style videos with your skit’s spliced in.
I’ve been using an app that stops me opening social media apps straight away and limits how many times I can open them, but I’d like to go the whole hog and delete them.
Watches video, Closes YT, deletes app, throws phone out window. retrieves phone as needed for actual phone stuff.
Bravo Michael, bravo!
I enjoyed watching this video on my phone, and the comic irony of an advert popping up 2/3 of the way through was not lost on me.
Loving this style of videos. The mock UA-camr persona is brilliant and the sketches are great as usual
Kudos to you Michael.
I have liked your unique and spot on kind of humour since I discovered your page.
This clip takes your humour and knowledge in a really good direction.
Educating while still in a funny way.
The points you are making are great.
I hope that you will do more videos in this kind of style.
Best of luck to you!
I started watching this video the second I got the notification on my phone. I was spending time with my children, but they can wait.
😅
LOL
Brilliantly put - all of it. All so true. Thank You for your extensive research and knowledge, that has lead to this funny, informative video.
Because this is Michael Spicer I have no idea if this was a sketch or a serious moment of introspection. From me, addicted to "social media" since NNTP newsgroups, IRC and dial up bulletin boards...
what you describe about not knowing where your phone is cuz you haven't touched it for hours is pinpoint accurate. i delete myself from social media (completely, not just the phone apps) about 5 years ago, and indeed many times i have no clue where i last left my phone because i last thought about it hours ago.
But i guess that's a privilege of older people. we're not as socially dependent as like when you're in your twenties.
This is the 20th time I've checked my phone, and I'm only 5 minutes into the video.
He is spot on though , I have no idea why I check my phone , I'm 50 , I dont play games on it , I barely use Facebook, don't do twitter and yet I check my phone in the unlikely event someone has posted something that my involve me.
Oh well I'll put my phone down now , and in 3 minutes the desire to pick it up will gnaw away at my brain, then I'll reach out , look at my phone again and have to rewind the video as I have just missed the last minute or so ,, thus making a 15 minute video take 30 minutes to watch.
ironically, this made me subscribe to you. Your rants are appreciated
Outstanding Social [Media] Commentary👍
Brilliant piece...! I've just uninstalled FB and hope to get more productive with all the time I've got back! Social media is like a drug... Anyone seen the Social Dilemma on Netflix? It's a powerful piece about the negative effects of social media.
I like how the narrative is "don't go on social media"... "like and subscribe"
And comment!
TBF he said to limit them to iPad/laptop. The main theme was remove from phone.
Loving the new videos Micheal great stuff .
Keeping all the profits and not paying the talent anything is UA-cam's modus operandi. Since 2017, even partners that were making a little money like me were cast out because we weren't making enough, and UA-cam threw ads into our videos that we got nothing for. Too bad it's working for them so well.
and one can't even forward them anymore, that is the most annoying thing ever. I am on the fence to ditch yt because of that, I don't care if people need ads to have more revenue, it is basically annoying... and distracting from the actual video.
Spot on video mate!!!! You nailed it perfectly...
I used Duolingo for a year for learning Japanese ... my ability to speak Japanese, or make complete sentences from memory is practically non-existent. However, the rote memorisation exercises for the Hiragana/Katakana characters were a big help and I've made a lot of progress there at least.
Duolingo is good if you approach it with the right expectations.
Or you just realise that immersion is actually required and that is aurally based...not based on a text app
@@soundscape26 yeah, people who expect to learn a language using only one tool are trying to build a house using only a hammer.
I knew what to expect from it. It's just that, out of all the things I've learned to recognise while doing the exercises, I'm surprised how little of it naturally comes to mind.
It shows there are a lot of words I've at least partially learned, and it should help when I start studying it properly.
I had the same experience with Rosetta Stone. Did the entire German course and found that I couldn't piece a sentence together. However, general vocabulary increased simply through rote learning.
Love the fancy lamp and dying plant. I will follow them on all the socials now.
I’ve done the same Michael, for the exact same reasons.
I had Facebook years ago, but quit that. You're my only social media now, Michael. I can't quit you!
"one bin fire at a time" is a great name for flipping between social media apps!
When I saw you'd made a 16 minute video I really wasn't sure, but this was fantastic. You even threw in a room next door clip! Worked so well, looking forward to seeing more long form stuff
Me checking fb to see if you’re still there! 😂
I love this format you've got going on! The topics are great and the integration of your familiar sketches really adds something! I hope you keep these up!
Ok, now I'm anxious about not using social media enough... Two and a half hours a day? I'm working those hours, it's bloody killing me! I had no idea that there was an alternative to looking at difficult emails, making/answering calls on my mobile and generally dealing with difficult problems... I could have been giving opinions on Taylor Swift's relationship with her boyfriend! As it is, I had to google "celebrity 2024" to get that name...
Oh sorry, almost forgot: 7.5/10, quite a manly look but the greying beard gives him a mature vibe. Definitely hot.
The first half of your comment is sad, the second half is… HOLY SHI-
I’m so glad I saw a link to this video while scrolling through social media.
I agree! It is much more convenient to use your social media on a PC.
I only use social media on a PC. have a Instagram account for my artwork, I don't have a personal Instagram account, I only use my Instagram when I have something to upload. I don't use it on my phone because it would lead me to wasting my time during the day
I'm loving these monologues. Keep them coming.
Never had Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Facebook, etc. Living in the real world, enjoying real experiences with real family & friends 👌
and yet you're on youtube...
@sofastuffing - I just go on occasionally. Some fantastic educational videos! I don't divulge private information. I'm guessing you are on every platform......
Absolutely bang on the money about antisocial media and DuoLingo!
Oh Michael, I believed you and thought, "How brave is Michael!". I hadn't realised you would still have limited access just not on your phone. God I'm a fool 😆 That said, I don't have anything on my phone apart from Messenger to call for help from my sister, if I have a fall (had a stroke so am a bit wobbly on my feet.) I do feel a bit isolated, what with not being able to get a good connection on my bloody phone, as I'm now told I need a code on it to buy anything. I live in remote Devon, ten whole minutes drive to the nearest Tesco! 😱 So yes, I am being pushed out of society by these bloody rules but... Oh my god I am so ranting right now, so sorry...I will say good bye! 😊
A 10-minute drive from a Tesco in Devon is pretty metropolitan!
@@jasonmcclatchie6877 You clearly haven't been to Devon if you think the word 'metropolitan' is used to describe it.
@@L5GUK I lived in and around that well known 'metropolis' Bideford for 5 years :D
I like these new style breakdowns of social phenomena - subscribed
15:00 I like watching Musk exhibit his inner twatness.
When I live on the internet I am a depressed, anxious misanthrope angry at the world. When I check out and decide to live in the world I feel so much more balanced and at peace. Social media might be the worse thing to ever happen to humanity.
"In 2019, Myspace lost *all* of its content, from the day it launched to 2015 in some sort of botched server migration with no backup."
Oh thank Christ, my shrine to teenage cringe will never be discovered.
Your dry humor rocks!!❤😂
Such good content!
*minor feedback - the volume of your videos seem a lot lower than the rest of youtube
I would like to add I have also noticed the low volume, luckily I've left social media so it doesn't bother me at all
Same. I got rid of my Facebook about 2 years ago & then IG got deleted at the end of last year. Never used any of the others & I only keep UA-cam to watch movies & have the occasional scroll that leads me to stuff like this video. My pre-teen also doesn't have any social media & I'm really happy about that because the difference between him & his peers who are addicted to their phones is really obvious. Social media was probably fun for about 10 years right at the very beginning. I reconnected with all my old school friends & made loads of friends from around the world....then it all changed. Social media is pretty much going down the toilet & I'm happy about that. I'm too old to get affected by it but it's ruining the minds of younger people. Young people who don't know what actual human social interaction is like without it & that's tragic. I'll celebrate the day that it all ends. It literally serves no purpose.
Hello Michael Spicer fans.
Very good Michael, took your advice, found myself, I think it's called "reading a book". Quite tiring, but I'm persevering and a pint of Wadworth's has dulled the ache.
I don't mind people criticizing Musk, but I honestly don't understand the people that act like Twitter was perfectly fine the way it was and then Musk came along and ruined it. To me it's just indicative of someone being stuck in a bubble that they don't even comprehend they're in. There's a clear ignorant bias there, which is further shown by the way you spent a good portion of this video criticizing advertisers... and then criticised Musk for criticizing advertisers. Twitter was dangerous before Musk, you were just one of those who were in the protective bubble and were shielded from this.
Fantastic. Recently, I am thinking about it a lot regarding just how much time I’m on social media. It’s ridiculous to be honest. I mean in some ways it’s harmless enough but I just don’t like the idea of how much actual time I’m spending on social media. I’m really hoping you are back here to put out new content because I Really enjoyed the room next door and all your content to be honest not many people who can have me belly laughing you’re definitely one of them.
"I deleted my social media, but left my You Tube channel to tell everyone on their phones that I deleted social media." How ironic!
that's the joke, well done.
Whoosh!
You expected he'd delete his channel?
youtube isnt social media tho?
Plenty of good information on You Tube . It is up to you what you choose to look at. I subscribe to Michael Spicer for example Ha Ha
The only sole reason I keep my fb account is because I'm a member of a couple of groups related to my 20 yo car - buying/ selling parts, getting in touch with people who make parts that are no longer available even as OEM, repair advice etc. and a few hobby groups (model making). I have a few friends IRL, and I don't need fb to stay in touch with them.
I grew up in the early 00s - the sweetspot of technology for me - we already had mobile phones for quick chat WHEN NEEDED and in case of emergency. But there was never this always online lifestyle, instagram posing and the risk of being filmed when doing something stupid (doing which is almost inevitable being an adult, even more being a teen) which can make one's life unbearable at a young age when people often try to fit into groups to find their place in the world.
Looking forward to seeing this video on my instagram and podcast feed.
I'm a Twitter addict, but never the less I love this - thank you.
great video Michael. good balance of wit and insight - as usual!
I think this might be my favourite video of yours yet! Perfect blend of comedy and helpfulness~
Also having your social media only on a laptop is such a great tip! Reminds me of the good ol days of hanging out on the family computer!
I check it a lot less too because of the extra effort it takes!
On a similar note, we were never supposed to be contactable 24/7! I think Facebook is massively to blame with their "seen" feature too, makes people feel ignored/entitled to a response sooner than necessary :’)
"seen" is so creepy and unnessary. Ive always thought it was. Just breeds insecurities in people like bacteria ! Made me parranoid about the friends I was talking to
It's same with Whatsapp but ive learnt to override the paranoia. anything to keep you on it for longer!
@@vvelvettearss I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks so, as far as I’m aware you can turn it off on WhatsApp 😊 hope this brings you peace!
As I watched this my phone reminded me, “is it time to take a break? “ I feel like that's a sign😂😂😂
Love the vid and is something I’ve actually started applying recently. Powerful tool tbh.. this and not touching tech for the first and last hour of the day.
But you did leave me with a genuine question.. why did you, do a whole video about it, with a fancy lamp and a dying plant behind you?
As a person from the era of one phone in the freezing hallway, this is f...g brilliant. 🎉
Your Undivided Attention podcast is worth a listen for in depth analysis of all this. The Social Dilemma movie/doc too.
Facebook and the rest employee the people who create slot machines to tell them how to keep people on their apps for longer
Just after Michael mentioned “ubiquitous advertising” an ad came up. Normally ads wind me up but the timing was so perfect it’s kind of funny.
So funny!
The Apology on a Loop was so NOW